Dark Horse Reserve Special Black Bier

Brewed by Dark Horse Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Marshall, Michigan USA

Ok, first off, It looks eerily similar to darkness from surly. thats as far as i’ll go with that though. The aroma is Delicious, superbly roasted and toasted malts give off immense flavor and smell. The initial sip is slightly sweet but very quickly translates into a ultra deep roast, almost Burnt. Hints of chocolate, but mostly heavily roasted coffee and burnt wood. As for the finish it’s slightly sweet on the tip of the palate nicely balanced towards to middle, and as if finds the way back it becomes burnt and toasty. Finishes quite dry with coffee and burnt wood. Great beer overall. The only negative may be a thin mouthfeel. Nice work Dark! P.S. drank at nearly room temp.

Courtesy of Hoppymeal, thank Derek! 12 oz bottle. Pours an motor oil black color with a small dark tan creamy head. Nose is of deeply roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, and hints of aluminum. Initial taste is a full body. The deep roasted malts really sets in, reminds me of black coffee. Chocolate malts dance over the roastiness. Mid palate is hints of coffee and mollases. Finishing with that continum of deep roasted malts with well balanced bitter hops and mild creaminess. Dry finish. Sticky mouthfeel and lips. Alcohol is well balanced. Nice lacing of the glass with some head retention. Palate duration is excellent.

12 oz bottle thanks to willblake, thanks Jon. First let me start by stating two things, 1. Dark Horse is a great company and 2. Dark Horse sucks mule cock for not distributing beers in Jersey. Poured a thick looking solid black with a spotty bubbly light beige head. Nicely complex with notes of molasses, capacuino, maple syrup, cherry flavored tobacco and vanilla. Creamy mouthfeel with a full body and average carbonation. roasted malty flavor with notes of coffee, burnt coffee and even a slight smokeyness. This one was so good I considered killing willblake and stuffing him in a closet just to get his six ounces.

Very dark pour with a tannish head which doesn’t stick around too long. The aroma is chocolate with some roasted malt scents. Palatte is nearly perfect and the flavor is warm, dark and just as good as it smells. Hard to stop at just one growler.

Bottled. Pours black with maroon head and lacing, and quickly disappearing head. Aroma consists of roasted malts, lots of smoke, wood and licorice. Pleasant smoky flavor with some chocolate, molasses and coffee. I tasted smoke more so than other aspects of the flavor. Finishes thin and dryly carbonated. Pretty good, not outstanding.

Wow. What a surprise. Very dark pour. Minimal amber head. Aroma and tastes of dark roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and all the other good dark things! I’m glad I have a 6 pack!

Big thanks to pantanap...aka Santa...for this great beer. Wonderfully dark pour with small tan head with decent lacing. Nose of very roasty malts and coffee mixed with coffee and dark chocolate. Medium bodied with upfront roast, light alcohol and bitter roasted coffee and dark bready notes. Long, lingering finish that I enjoy. Thanks Santanap!

I’d been putting this one off for some time because I was somehow under the impression that it was just some plain old boring stout. Imagine my surprise when it ended up being rather enjoyable. Almost black in color with a little bit of tan head. Lots of roasty malt action gives it a coffee scent. Very rich and a good thick mouthfeel. Lots of coffee and a hint of bitter dark chocolate. A good thick beer. Not quite porter, not quite stout, not quite impy. Just good.